An Honest Mistake
by RenjiMichaelisMustang
Summary: Renji didn't think it was a big deal at first. Now, he could lose it all. Can Byakuya help? Yaoi. ByaRen.
1. Just a scratch

**A/N: This story has been written in collaboration with the wonderful Timewaster123456789, who took the time to teach me the writing process. She's amazing. All the love in the world to her.**

**Also, a big thank you to SesshomaruFreak, for always inspiring me to be better.**

**Please, check out my awesome pack and their work! Links on my profile.**

**We own nothing. Inspired by our packmate Spunky0ne's excellent 'Shattered Moon' series, which is about to turn ten years old! Go check it out.**

Chapter 1: Just a scratch.

Byakuya dropped a thick stack of paperwork on Renji's desk and the lieutenant startled awake. Sleeping on the job was _not_ something he would tolerate.

Renji's eyes were wide as he quickly swiped away drool—disgusting— and tried to look alert and contrite at the same time.

Hazy eyes focused on the noble's narrowed ones, two silver cannons just ready to fire. 'Oh, fuck, he's gonna fillet me with Senbonzakura', the redhead thought before trying to stammer an excuse to save his sorry ass.

"S-sorry, Taichou! I know I say this a-almost every day, but it will not happen again."

He winced at how pathetic he sounded, even to his own ears, but for some reason he couldn't seem to think of anything else to try to calm his surely fuming Taichou. His head felt like he'd just finished a 10 hour flash-step training session with Yoruichi, and his mouth was so dry… like he'd just swallowed a giant ball of cotton. The wince, however, did not go unnoticed by the noble.

"Abarai, at this point I would expect you to know better..." Byakuya broke off as he took in his lieutenant's flushed cheeks and sweaty face. He looked like he'd been training for hours. Byakuya softened his voice slightly, "Are you ill?"

Renji just stared ahead, wondering why his captain's silhouette was becoming blurrier every time he blinked. Why did his eyelids feel so heavy all of a sudden? And could someone please close the windows? It's freezing in here!

A slightly trembling hand passed across his heated face, picking up in its trail a few strands of crimson hair that had stuck to his damp forehead. With a cloudy mind and his teeth chattering from the chills that suddenly wracked his body, he decided that his superior had already waited too long for his response.

"I-i'm fine, Kuchiki-Taichou." The redhead started. "J-just a little chilly a-all of a sudden. Is it ok if I close the windows?"

If Renji's eyes had not been so heavy and his gaze so unfocused from the surely rising fever, maybe he would've seen the confused look his captain gave him.

Byakuya quietly shut the windows before turning back to his lieutenant.

"You are not fine. Go home, Abarai."

"But Taichou! I can...I can still..." what was he supposed to do again? Oh, right, paperwork! "I can get the paperwork done. Just give me a..."

"Go home before you make the whole squad sick."

Dejected, Renji rose to his feet and swayed a little.

Byakuya watched him with a small frown, "Can you make it on your own?"

It was a simple, practical question. He could assign an escort if not. He wasn't worried surely... though the lieutenant really didn't look well.

Renji lowered his head and stared at the floor, breathing slowly and deeply, as he prayed to the gods to stop the dizziness he felt. He had to get out of there. He was not going to just stand here and let himself be humiliated by the noble, so he tried to compose himself and proudly lifted his face to look his Taichou in the eye. 'Oh shit, bad idea!' he thought as he realized he'd moved his head too fast and stars started dancing in front of him.

Everything around him began to darken, and his ears filled a strange buzzing sound. He could only see that the ground was getting closer to him - or was it he who was about to hit the ground? - He barely felt the strong chest that saved him from what would surely have been a nasty fall, before the buzzing stopped and everything went black.

*Beep. Beep. Beep.*

Distant sounds began to register deep in his mind, slowly returning Renji to the real world. The air around him smelled slightly of alcohol and disinfectant. He didn't need to open his eyes to realize where he was. 'Damn it, anywhere but here!'

Renji opened his eyes to find himself on a hospital bed. He heard voices and turned his head to see his captain talking to a fourth squad nurse. They both approached so he tried to sit up and look alert, it didn't really work.

"You've clearly been sick for a while. Why have you not sought treatment?" the nurse asked. Byakuya stood behind her, frowning slightly, which registered as deep displeasure to Renji, who knew the various expressions of his Captain's anger painfully well.

Worried about the displeased and slightly inquisitive look in those steel eyes, an exhausted Renji tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't disappoint the noble even more.

"I apologize for not being more careful and not having said anything before, but I didn't think it was that important," the redhead said as he took a deep breath and slowly lifted his shitagi and kosode to reveal what looked like a wound made by a Hollow's claws. The wound looked quite recent, it was red, swollen and the edges were tinted with a sickly dark purple.

Renji lowered his head and hid his auburn eyes behind his crimson mane, so as not to have to face the astonished look of the nurse, and the freezing cold eyes of the noble. With a sigh, he prepared for the scolding of his life. Nevertheless, he was a little surprised when he heard the voice of his Taichou, a little softer than normal, yet still firm and —let's face it—kind of scary.

"The incursion in the 70th east…when you killed the flankers."

It wasn't a question, but the way his Lieutenant lowered his head even more confirmed it regardless. He'd received that wound guarding Byakuya's back. This was all _his_ fault.

"Renji, why didn't you get it treated? The truth." there was no way in his mind that the veteran could have underestimated a wound that severe, that badly.

"The place was chaotic, Taichou. My priority was always to watch your back and see that fallen officers got medical attention ASAP. I didn't think the wound was so serious. I didn't even realize I was hurt until I got to my room. I cleaned and bandaged the wound myself, since I didn't feel any pain whatsoever. Yeah, I felt more tired than usual, but I thought it was because we've had several missions lately and I haven't been able to sleep very well. Forgive me, I was careless and I've caused you both problems. Please, Taichou, I'm sorry for wasting your time. You don't need to waste your day in fourth squad with a mutt like me."

Byakuya nodded and left to finish the workday, but his Lieutenant's plight occupied a corner of his mind. Maybe it was just adrenaline that had made him not feel the wound, he was tough, but it was also highly likely that the claw had some kind of numbing secretion. That often went hand in hand with another, more dangerous poison.

As soon as he was done for the day, he returned to the fourth. Without much difficulty, he found the nurse in charge of his lieutenant.

With that gentle look that characterized all the members of the fourth, she addressed the nobleman, "Good evening, Kuchiki-Taichou, what can I do for you?"

"I want to know what is going on with my Lieutenant. He is strong, but it is impossible that he failed to notice such a serious injury, I need to know if Abarai was poisoned by that Hollow or if there is something else that he is not saying."

"I understand, Kuchiki-Taichou," the gentle-eyed nurse said, "Lieutenant Abarai is asleep right now, his fever came back a couple of hours ago and he was becoming restless, so we had to sedate him. We took the opportunity to take blood samples and Unohana-Taichou ordered us to give her the results as soon as we have them."

Byakuya nodded and waited. As the hours dragged on, he tried meditating, but the lobby was too loud with a detail of the eleventh that had come in from battle, raucously bragging about their exploits and showing off injuries as they waited to be treated.

He moved into Renji's room to continue his meditation in the quiet, but his concentration kept slipping anyway. Renji twisted in a fever-induced dream and sweat covered his body. It bothered him deeply to know that it'd been his own failure that had put his subordinate there.

He had just closed his eyes to try meditating again, when he felt Renji's reiatsu oozed into a waking state.

As soon as he saw Renji open his eyes Byakuya approached the bed. Renji tried to get up, but the noble quietly guided his lieutenant back to the bed with surprisingly gentle hands. Renji started to protest, but his Taichou just glared at him. Knowing that protesting would be in vain, the feverish lieutenant allowed himself to be laid on the bed again and closed his eyes against the light that shone in the hallway outside his room.

Byakuya, somewhat surprised by his own behavior, hurried to close the door, leaving moonlight the only illumination inside. A slight nod from the redhead was the only show of gratitude he needed. Porcelain fingers went to Renji's forehead and the cool touch on his heated skin made him shiver. Byakuya noticed, and got a basin and a wet cloth from the nightstand. Tenderly, he ran the cloth over Renji's face and neck, trying to cool him down.

Then he got closer and whispered in his ear, "Get some sleep, Lieutenant. I'll be here if you need me."

Grateful auburn eyes fluttered closed, and the redhead fell asleep again. A small smile gracing his lips.

At the other end of the hall from where Renji's room was, a bewildered Unohana was walking very fast, in search of the Captain of the sixth squad.

Sensing Byakuya's reiatsu, Unohana-Taichou entered Renji's room, prepared to give the noble a dressing down for harassing her patient. She found him sitting in the room's only chair while Renji lay peacefully with a wet cloth on his head. She had the distinct impression that she had interrupted something but that wasn't her concern.

Byakuya rose respectfully when she entered, in the hospital of fourth division, Unohana-Taichou outranked everyone. She woke Renji gently.

"I'm sorry to have to wake you, but this is urgent. Byakuya-Taichou, would you give us a moment?"

"Can he stay?" Renji asked then gasped when he realized what he'd said. Well, he was fully awake now at least... and wanted the ground to swallow him.

"If you wish but, this will not be easy to hear, so perhaps..."

In that case, he very much wished not to be alone, but that wasn't in a captain's job description. Byakuya, however, saw the fear in Renji's eyes.

"If you wish me to leave it's okay. Rank has no privilege here, you know that."

"I don't," Renji whispered.

"In that case, Unohana-Taichou, please allow me to stay by my Lieutenant's side."

The leader of the fourth squad gave the nobleman in front of her a small smile, then turned serious eyes to the man in the bed. With that delicate voice of hers, she began to speak.

"Lieutenant Abarai, we took a sample of your blood while you were sleeping. I have the results in my hands and I regret to inform you that there is a powerful poison invading your body. That is the reason why you have felt so tired these last few days and your fever is not coming down."

'Well that doesn't sound so bad, she had me all worried for nothing!' Renji thought as he addressed the woman.

"Excuse me for my insolence, Unohana-Taichou, but that doesn't sound so serious. It's not the first time I've been attacked by a Hollow and poisoned."

The redhead regretted his comment as soon as he finished saying it, feeling two pairs of eyes come to rest on him. One of them looked worried, the other promised a slow and painful death if he kept saying stupid things.

"Lieutenant Abarai, please, let me finish," Unohana said gently but firmly. "The poison will slowly eat at your reiatsu, until you have no spirit power left. Even if we find an antidote, there is no guarantee that you will be able to recover any that you lost."

Byakuya felt ill but didn't let it show, once a leader showed fear, subordinates quickly followed.

"So I...I could lose my Shinigami powers?" Renji's voice shook. Would he have to go back to the Rukon?

"Yes."

"What is needed for an antidote?" Byakuya asked, all business.

"We would need the body of a Hollow of the same type that injured him. The same specific Hollow would be best, but any should work," Unohana said. "Other than that, it's in the twelfth's hands."

Byakuya saw Renji's eyes widen and his face pale. For some reason, the lack of color in his subordinate's lovely features deeply disturbed him… Wait. _Renji? Lovely?_ He really needed to get away from the redhead. The sterile smell of the fourth division's barracks was obviously making him delirious. Had he not been the heir of the Kuchiki clan, he probably would have slapped his own face.

While the noble's brain teased him with images of the redhead's tanned, golden skin, Renji was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. This couldn't be happening. No, he didn't want to leave Seireitei, he didn't want to stop being a Shinigami! Everything he loved was here! His home, his friends, his squad and... his Taichou. He had to find an antidote, he would go the bottom of Hueco Mundo with only a wooden stick for a weapon if it meant that he could regain his powers! He would do anything! Well... except one thing...

"If you people think for a second that I'm going to let myself be touched by that creepy mad scientist, you're _crazy_!"

"He would only develop the antidote, I will be administering it," Unohana said with a faint smile. Even Byakuya felt his lips twitch, he could commiserate with that sentiment.

"I must put things in order with the squad first, but I will return with the Hollow soon," Byakuya said.

The night continued to fill Renji with surprises. Had his captain just offered to look for the Hollow by himself, just to retrieve the antidote that could save Renji from losing his powers? He suddenly felt a strange sensation in his stomach, as if a million hell butterflies were fluttering inside him. Maybe it's the poison? he thought as he watched the noble captain leave his room, the sign of the sixth squad standing proudly on his white haori.


	2. Oh, the guilt

**A/N: Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! You guys fill our hearts with joy.**

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**We own nothing.**

Chapter 2: Oh, the guilt.

* * *

_Previously on AHM: The night continued to fill Renji with surprises. Had his captain just offered to look for the Hollow by himself, just to retrieve the antidote that could save Renji from losing his powers? He suddenly felt a strange sensation in his stomach, as if a million hell butterflies were fluttering inside him. Maybe it's the poison? he thought as he watched the noble captain leave his room, the sign of the sixth squad standing proudly on his white haori._

Byakuya flash-stepped through Hueco Mundo, trying to track the hollow from the faint traces of energy he'd sensed on Renji. It wouldn't be long now…

XxXx

Rukia smiled at Renji as he lay in the hospital bed. The down time wasn't doing much for his anxiety and Rukia could easily see the fear in his eyes.

"Don't worry, he won't be long" Rukia said gently, trying to put all of her faith in her brother's success into her tone.

Renji was silent for a couple of minutes. Then, he steeled himself and turned to the violet-eyed girl whom he considered his sister.

"Hey, Rukia. Can I ask you something?"

A slight nod in response encouraged him to continue.

"Do you know why he offered to go in search of the Hollow that hurt me? I mean, until a few hours ago, I thought the guy hated me! This doesn't make any sense!"

Rukia looked at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head. "Because you're not only his lieutenant, but also his friend. Nii-sama doesn't hate you, baka, I thought you already knew that. Especially considering he carried you to the fourth himself and never left your side, not even when Unohana-Taichou asked him to go back to the Manor. He stayed, Renji. He stayed for you."

"He _what_!?" Renji yelped, trying to process this new information, "And how? Why? What!?"

He thought of the contempt his captain would show at that kind of idiocy, and took a calming breath.

"Friends? Rukia, we've never hung out, we barely speak. Other than Sokyoku Hill, he's never told me anything personal. How does that count me as a _friend_?" He was getting confused. In the Rukon, friends were a serious matter. You didn't refer to casual acquaintances like that.

Rukia sighed deeply. She closed her eyes for a couple of seconds and then fixed her gaze on her childhood friend. 'Sometimes he can be so dense,' She thought regretfully.

When she started talking again, Renji couldn't help but think that she'd never looked so much like her brother. Even if they weren't related by blood, he couldn't deny that the little girl was a proud Kuchiki.

"Renji…you need to understand a couple of things about my brother. He is a nobleman, he is the heir of the Kuchiki clan. My brother is one of the strongest captains of the Gotei 13. Soul Society expects a lot from him. The Kuchiki elders expect a lot from him. Because of his status, my brother has been forbidden to show his feelings since he was a little boy. He is not allowed to show weakness, because that is not worthy of a person like him. He has suffered a lot for that. He has always been under public scrutiny, so he must be impassive all the time. Besides, from what he said at Sokyoku Hill about my sister Hisana, I can't even begin to imagine what he went through, but I can bet he had to suffer in silence. How would _you_ feel, Renji? If it was you in my brother's shoes, how would you feel?"

Renji stared incredulous.

"I'd tell the lot of them where to shove their stupid rules, flip them the bird and mourn. If anyone had a problem with that, they could take it up with Zabimaru. That'd go double if I had the kind of power he does. What could anyone do about it? He's got cash, political power and the fighting skills to more than back it up..." Renji broke off, realizing that his rant had gotten off track and blushed.

Rukia gave the redhead a look full of tenderness. She had forgotten how passionate her best friend was. After all, Renji always wore his heart on his sleeve.

"I assure you, that's exactly what he feels every day, but it's a luxury that nobles cannot afford. My brother is an expert at keeping his feelings to himself, it's how he was raised and that is something that neither you nor I can change. That's why I'm asking you not to be so hard in judging him. He may not tell you what you want to hear, but that does not mean he does not think about it."

Renji's eyes widened as he heard those words.

"Rukia... what exactly are you telling me?"

The young Kuchiki gave a smile to the surprised lieutenant. She kissed his forehead affectionately and whispered in his ear, "I'm not as innocent as you think, I've seen the way you look at him."

Standing up, she winked at Renji and quietly left the room.

XxXx

'Oh, fuuuck,' Renji thought as he collapsed back on the bed, 'God! who else knows?'. If this poison wouldn't kill him, he'd be very happy if the ground could swallow him up.

Eventually, his thoughts turned to the rest of their conversation. He'd always assumed that Byakuya had all of his friends among the noble echelons, so his disdain for the general camaraderie of the Gotei 13 made sense. However, maybe nobles just had very shallow friendships, which he supposed would make sense given what Rukia had said, but then what was the point?

"Hey, man! Howya' doin'?" Ichigo called as he entered, startling Renji from his thoughts.

"Still breathing, if that's what you want to know. What are you doing here? I thought you were still in the world of the living."

Ichigo glared at his friend. "First of all, a _'Thank you, Ichigo, for taking time out of your life to come visit me'_ would've been nice. You're welcome, by the way. As for why I'm here, I was just at Urahara's when Byakuya came rushing in, demanding him to open a Garganta so he could go to Hueco Mundo. Something about his clumsy lieutenant who had once again got into trouble. He didn't even stop to explain anything to us, he was being more annoying than usual and if I'm not mistaken, he looked a little worried. So I ask you, baka: what the fuck did you do now?"

Renji's eyes widened at this new information, but he focused on his friend.

"Got hit by a hollow a few weeks back, didn't think it was a big deal but it turns out it was poisonous," he tried to suppress the fear that flooded him at the thought of what that poison would do. Byakuya would get the antidote surely, he was almost as determined as Ichigo when he picked a course of action.

Ichigo snorted at the explanation, and Renji scowled at the substitute Shinigami.

"Sorry man, didn't mean to laugh. It's just that it sounds like something that would only happen to you. How serious is it? I mean, I've never seen Byakuya like this, not even when Rukia was sentenced to death."

Renji sighed. "If he doesn't find the Hollow that attacked me, I won't be able to get the antidote and I'll… lose my Shinigami powers… forever."

Ichigo's expression turned grim. He did not know what to say, so he awkwardly placed a hand on his friend's shoulder in what he hoped to be a gesture of comfort.

Renji continued, "Ichigo, if I lose my powers, I'll have to return to the Rukongai, I'll probably end up in Inuzuri. What am I gonna do? I'm gonna lose everything..."

Coppery eyes full of unshed tears looked up at his friend. Ichigo gave him a sad smile and only dared to say that everything would be fine. He couldn't think of anything else to cheer up the scared lieutenant.

Renji turned his face away as the tears started to fall, "Fuck. I'm sorry, I..." he broke off in a choked sob.

Ichigo stared, frozen in surprise and feeling utterly helpless.

"Hey, Renji... listen... I uh..." Ichigo struggled to find the right words to help his friend feel better, "I know this must be hard on you, but you have to trust Byakuya. He's gonna get the antidote for you, you're gonna get better and will finally fulfill that weird dream of yours to surpass him one day. And uh… don't cry, man... your face is all red and you resemble a freakin' red pineapple. Even more than usual."

Even with everything that was happening to him, Renji couldn't help but laugh at his friend's stupid comment, "Thanks, man. I needed that."

"Anytime, Pineapple."

A comfortable silence settled between the two friends. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes until Ichigo decided to break it.

"Hey, Renji... how do you think Byakuya's doing in Hueco Mundo?"

Renji gave a weak smile. "Probably calmly informing all the hollows that they're worthless idiots and making them question all their life choices before he kills them."

Ichigo laughed, "That sounds about right. I still don't get what you see in him."

Renji stared at him, 'Damn it, does everyone know about my crush on Byakuya? Am I really that obvious?'

"Wha... what do you mean, Strawberry?" he asked, trying to not sound as nervous as he felt.

Ichigo laughed, "Oh, come on, Renji! Are you really gonna play that card? Everyone knows you only have eyes for your beloved Taichou. Don't play dumb, man, it doesn't suit you."

Renji huffed.

"Well if Byakuya's goin' through all this trouble, maybe he feels the same" Ichigo said to make up for the teasing.

"You're the second person who's told me that today," Renij said thoughtfully. "Rukia said the same thing before she left, but I'm not buying it... Taichou has always been so cold with me. Come on, Ichigo, we almost killed each other!... Well, more like he almost killed me, but still! He's my captain and also a nobleman, and for some reason everyone keeps forgetting he was married TO A WOMAN! Taichou's not gay... dude, I'm never going to have a chance with him, he's way out of my league."

"Er..." Ichigo said, completely out of his depth at this point.

"See?" Renji said and tried to ignore the pain that proving himself right caused.

"Still, Byakuya was freaked, I repeat: _Byakuya_ was _freaked_. That's gotta count for something, right?"

Renji sighed. "Maybe he just doesn't want to have to train another lieutenant."

Ichigo looked at him, exasperated. "Dude, whatever. There's just no convincing you. Let's just hope Byakuya comes back soon."

"Yeah... I just wish I could be there with him... I hate the feeling of not being close to my captain to watch his back."

Ichigo looked at him incredulously, "You don't think he can handle himself without you? Damn, and I thought _he_ was arrogant.

XxXx

Byakuya flashed backwards from the hollow that had been the subject of his hunt. Those claws had a long range and he couldn't risk being incapacitated. He guided his blade petals to cut off one of its arms. 'Three more to go.' He dodged another slash.

He had been fighting with the hollow for a few hours. His breathing was ragged and he was starting to get tired. The atmosphere felt toxic and heavy, the dark skies of Hueco Mundo and the desert sand were causing him problems. But he couldn't stop now, he couldn't take a break. For every minute that passed, his lieutenant's health would deteriorate more and more.

A claw reached out to brush his cape, tearing it slightly. 'I need to focus' he thought, 'If this hollow hits me, it will be the end for Renji.'

Byakuya continued blocking, saving his energy by being more defensive. All he needed was a single... - Thinking he was tiring, the hollow lunged. - Opening. There! He blasted it with kido, putting everything he had into the one spell, but putting a little more energy into making it flashy rather than powerful. Yellow light exploded around them with a crack.

He used the blinding display as cover and let Senbonzakura's petals tear through the area where the hollow should be. When the dust settled, he saw the hollow's body lying on the sand before him. He scooped it up and tapped the small signal device that would tell Urahara to open a Garganta at his location.

While he waited, Byakuya turned to see the hollow. Yes, it had given him a good fight and had been a difficult opponent to defeat but, thinking of Renji's abilities, he still could not understand how his lieutenant had been hurt.

He would have to talk to Renji when he returned from Hueco Mundo, Renji's performance had been less than perfect. He would have to ... _No. Stop._ Renji didn't need a scolding, nor did he need his criticism. His lieutenant had been hurt trying to save his captain's life, he was just doing his job. It was _he_ who needed to reflect on his performance that day, _he_ had been distracted, _he_ had been reckless, not Renji. Because of _his _poor performance, his most loyal subordinate was now in danger. There was no other option, he had to save Renji! Otherwise, Byakuya would never forgive himself…

In that moment, the noble saw a Garganta opening in front of him. Holding Senbonzakura with one hand and the hollow over his shoulder, Byakuya slowly made his way back to Soul Society.

XxXx

Renji sat up in bed as he felt his captain's reiatsu approach. He was eager despite the complete exhaustion that had come over him.

Byakuya closed the door behind him, "How are you doing?"

"Better, now that you're back Taichou!" Renji winced as soon as the words left his mouth, his captain's eyes widening in surprise. "I mean! If you're here, then that means I'll have the antidote soon!" Renji explained hastily, his face heating.

"Kurotsuchi-Taichou says it will be five to seven days," Byakuya replied calmly.

Renji's face fell. 'Five to seven days?' he thought with a frown. 'That means I'm going to be even weaker by the time the antidote is ready.'

XxXx

Byakuya saw the sadness on his subordinate's face. Renji always wore his heart on his sleeve. It wasn't hard to imagine what the redhead was thinking.

Although it was not within his nature, the nobleman felt the need to say a few words of encouragement to his lieutenant. After all, he kept feeling that unpleasant sense of guilt for the redhead's wounds. At the same time, he couldn't help being a little excited by the words that escaped the redhead's lips. 'Does Renji really feel better when I'm by his side?' he wondered.

Then, he considered his own feelings. 'That would explain why I feel ... _different_, when he tells me those things.' He sighed in his mind. What was happening to him? Why wouldn't these feelings leave him alone? What had Renji done to him to be part of his thoughts all the time? He had not felt this way for a long time, at least not since Hisana's death. It was..._ frustrating._

Slowly, Byakuya approached his lieutenant's cot and sat in the chair next to him.

XxXx

"Captain?" Renji asked, seeing the frown and trying to figure out what he'd done wrong out of habit.

What Renji did not expect, was his captain raising a delicate hand towards his forehead. The frown deepened in the noble's features. Renji was panicking. He dared to ask again, "Kuchiki-Taichou? Is everything alright?"

"You have a fever again, Renji, and you look exhausted. Have you slept at all since I left?"

'Okay, that was not what I expected,' thought the redhead. "I'm fine, Taichou. Yes, I've slept a bit, but this stupid poison is leaving me without strength. No matter how long I sleep, I always feel tired."

"And have you eaten?" inquired the noble.

"A little bit. I'm not very hungry, Taichou. But don't worry about me, I'll be fine once the mad scientist gives me that antidote."

The nobleman just nodded, a little annoyed at his lieutenant's attitude. 'If he doesn't take care of himself, he's going to get worse. I have to talk to his nurses.'

Byakuya left the room, not seeing Renji's face fall in disappointment when his back was turned. Byakuya went to speak to the nurse, still contemplating how to bring up Renji's performance without making it confrontational.

XxXx

Meanwhile, in the privacy of his room, Renji rolled onto his side and curled into a ball, feeling like hell.

Without any warning, he felt a terrible headache, as if millions of needles were digging into his brain. He barely managed to let out a choked-up scream, when his eyes rolled up in his head and he lost consciousness.

XxXx

Byakuya heard the scream and rushed to the redhead's room. He arrived just in time and stared horrified as his lieutenant's limbs began to shake violently in what appeared to be convulsions. Isane-Fukutaichou was holding Renji with kido in an attempt to keep him from hurting himself. His eyes were blank and the noble could see a thread of saliva slowly coming out of his mouth and wetting his pillow. He stood, frozen, as the episode lasted for about thirty seconds before he heard a soft gasp and Renji's body went limp.

Forgetting that he was a nobleman and leaving aside his stoic, cold attitude, Byakuya could not help but let out a scream.

"RENJI!"

_TBC._


End file.
